My dad wants a new circular saw but i have no idea what the differences are or what to buy?

Question

My dad wants a new circular saw for his birthday but when i went on home depot.com there were so many to chose from. Hes going to be using for home projects and such. I want to buy something middle of the road. Not cheap but not overly expensive either. How much power does he need? What size blade is common? Any help would be greatly apriciated!!

Im going to buy it online because the closest home depot is an hour away and since all the stores online are offering free shipping, it makes the most sense. Any good brand names?

Answer 1

Ok, youve got lots of good advice already on brands.... Im going to give you some tips on the saw itself....

7-1/4" blades are the most common size for a circular saw blade. You can buy saws that use 6" blades... making a much lighter handling saw. The typical cordless saw, may use as small as a 4" blade. For my money -- I buy carbide tipped blades...they stay sharp longer, thus needing to be replaced less often. Some of the 'heavier' saws come with 10" blades.

Look for a saw with a 15 amp motor (if buying the type that plugs in) Anything less, will bog down, and not cut as easily.

An adjustable base is important... not only for the depth of cut, but also the angle of the cut. Many circular saws come with optional attachments, such as edge guides.

Safety trigger -- practically all saws have a safety button on the trigger these days (its an additional button you have to hold down, to pull the trigger, to operate the saw). Many are mounted on top of the handle, some are mounted on the side. The easiest to use, is the side mount safety, in my opinion.

Some saws have a "viewing window" over the blade, so you can see the cut -- in my experience... there is usually too much sawdust flying for this to be of any practical benefit, once the saw is cutting.

Another option is the adjustable exhaust. This is very handy, for directing which direction your saw is going to throw the sawdust from the cut. You can get some saws with a bag attachment too. Those are good if you're doing a lot of cutting inside.

The very best way to get a saw your dad wants tho.... ASK HIM, hehehe

By the way... I did a search at the Home Depot website... if you add "15 amp" to the search... it helps narrow down your list.... Im providing the link below. I would suggest comparing them all, and then think about printing out that list, and have your dad pick out the one he likes best =D

I would also suggest checking out Rockler.com (link below). This is an excellent company to do business with. Ive been ordering tools and supplies from them for years, and have ALWAYS been happy with the product and service. They have a LOT of items that make DIY projects easier. I would also suggest looking at their blade selection, and blade care products. (While you're at their site -- have them send your dad a catalog!)

Have Fun!

Answer 2

A cordless (battery-powered) circular saw has limited cutting power, especially on thicker or heavier woods. You would need at least 2 batteries, one as a spare, and I would recommend at least 18 volts or more, for greater cutting power.

A corded circular saw is not limited in cutting time, but you always have to drag around a cord.

The major features between saws are plastic vs metal housings, steel or aluminum base plates, and saw diameter (5", 6", 7", 7-1/4" and even 10".) 7-1/4" is probably the most common of all for everyday use.

DeWalt, Milwaukee and Skil are all pretty much professional / trade grade saws and will last virtually forever. Black & Decker is a good homeowner grade saw (B&D owns the deWalt brand.) Sears Craftsman is also homeowner grade. I think that Ridgid has an exclusive sales arrangement with Home Depot for their power tools - they look fairly well made. Riyobi is kind of low-end.

Motor power is expressed in horsepower and amperage. These saws all have fractional HP motors (less than 1 HP), but the higher the amperage, the more power you'll get from the motor. I would say 7-10 amps is plenty for the average homeowner saw.

Some nice features include easy to change saw blade, easy to adjust bevel and depth setting, and a rip saw guide. Some saws also have a laser cutting guide. Most saws include a general purpose saw blade, but a carbide-tipped GP saw would be very nice. And a carrying case will protect the saw from dust & dirt.

Personally, I own a Skil worm saw and love it, but it is heavy and not too useful for general work. I also have a B&D circular saw that works ok, but the plastic handle has been cracked. My dad has an old Craftsman (aluminum body) saw that still runs well after 30 years. And he also has a Milwaukee circ saw that has lots of power.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

You need to think of a few things:

1.) Do you want an electric saw (Requires it to be plugged in)
2.) Do you want a cordless saw (Runs on rechargeable batteries)

The size of the saw blades depends on what type of cutting he will be doing, And they are available in several sizes, 4", 5", 6", 7-1/4"

To be safe it would be better to get a saw that will take a 7-1/4" blade that way he can cut about anything around the house and blades are easy to come by.

There are also several brands of saws:

Firestorm - DO NOT BUY THIS ONE - They are cheap, but you get what you pay for.

Ryobi - The cheapest one available - But the battery does not hold up for very long and they take longer to charge.

DeWalt - A very good quality saw and has a rapid charger and the battery holds up for a reasonable amount of time - Cost a bit more than the others. But a good saw!

Rigid - The very best and most durable saw. Batteries have a long use life and charge fully very quick. And again cost more but worth it.

Sounds like you are going to make your dad a lucky guy! I am sure that he will enjoy your gift.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

You need a 7.5 inch 15 amp saw and you can best find it with Skil, Bosch, or Makita. Don't buy Dewalt (only decorated Black and Decker), Ryobi or Lowes own brand.

If your father does a lot of sawing, get a Bosch, a little less, get a Skil. If it is going to get heavy use here and there, Makita is just fine.

The others will certainly saw a board, but they are without ball bearings and have nylon bushings instead. Under more than a little bit of use, those bushings will wear out. Bosch is the best and if you want to get the best pricing, find out where there is a Skil/Bosch Repair center and buy one from them - they are totally rebuilt and have teh same warranty as the brand new ones. You want enough amps to turn the saw under the most strenuous conditions, or you will burn your way through the boards. Get him some extra blades, ask the skil/bosch repair center to recommend what blades he might need. They come with a combination blade, but he might need a plywood blade for cutting plywood - the combination will tear up plywood.

Home Depot is going to recommend either Dewalt or Ryobi, both are considered by pros as being junk.

Bosch is one of those saws that you buy one time and don't have to replace it. The higher end skils are basically the same.

Answer 5

You can't go wrong on any of them. The cheap ones will last a person who don't use them every day a very long time. 7 1/4 is a common sized blade or thereabouts. I think around $70 is about what I paid for the last two or three. Carpenters like the big heavy rear handle kind. I never have liked that kind. They cost a couple hundred. The difference is ball bearings and a little more ruggedness. I use to build a whole house with the cheaper ones and then relegate them to cutting cement blocks which wears them out quickly. The cuttings get in the bushings and wears them out. Having a little laser light on them is the newest cutist thing, but not necessary. Go for it. You can't go wrong.

Answer 6

Makita should do. It's got a good reputation among carpenters. It may be too expensive, but maybe not.....

Why all the questions about blade size and power? I think you are looking at cordless circular saws, like a cordless drill that uses batteries. It would say 18 volt or 24 volt, and 5 inch blade, etc...

You probably want a regular circular saw. The blades are all the same about 7 1/4, and the power is all the same - just plug it in. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Even cheap saws do a good job. Black and Decker and SkilSaw are pretty cheap. Milwaukee is a good saw. Makita (muh-key-ta) is the Toyota of power tools.

Answer 7

Go to sears or the equivilent. There will be three types, a cheap one, and expensive one, and one that is right in the middle. Buy the one that is right in the middle. This is a standard rule for almost everything.

The cheap one is cheap because it is the crappiest of whats out there. The expensive one is expensive to make you think it is the best and that you NEED those extra features, but you don't need them, they usually are things you never use, besides they will come out with one twice as good next year. The middle one is the one that has exactly what you want in terms of price, quality and convenience.

My dad asked for a circular saw one christmas....I got it. I don't think he even took it out of the package at this point. He was being optimistic about some crown molding that is still on the floor behind the sofa in the living room.

Answer 8

Country Girl: A good electric / battery operated hand saw would fit the "bill". Electric saw (plug-in 115 volt A.C.) saw should be at least a 15 Amp. rating, with a 7 inch saw blade. A battery operated saw should be about 18 volts (D.C.) with a battery charger and an extra battery for back-up. Many good brands on the market such as: Milwaukee, De Walt, Bosch, Rigid, etc.

Answer 9

This sounds like the opportunity for you to give the "perfect"gift, because it will require you to do research that will make it much more meaningful. Have a peek at the tool brands that he has the most of and stick with that Brand. If that fails, ask for help as suggested in other answers.

Answer 10

Get him one that's a good brand name, like Craftsman, Rigid, Hitachi, B&D. Make sure the blade is at least 7 inches, has about 12-15 amps. These saws will range from 30.00 - 70.00 dollars.